Gathering Whats Left
Chapter 0.2 - Gathering Whats Left A Little Something for the Journey As Father looked back onto the Soul Reaper city by himself, sitting on a stone that he moved closer to the edge of the cliff, he couldn't help but feel a familiar presence suddenly enter just behind him, standing mere metres away. Rolling his eyes and flipping his head to the opposite direction, he noticed that Mother had returned with a rolled up bundle cradled in both her hands. Baring a sly smile on her face as her eyes met with Father's, she tossed them over to him, watching the bundle roll along the ground before stopping at Father's feet. "The Daughter was worried that you might not have enough for this mission. So she's giving you a few gifts, I guess it's what the Humans would call an 'early Christmas present'?" Mother explained before crossing her arms and watching Father's response. Crouching over from his feet and placing one hand on the bundle, the older Arrancar male pushed it back, although this time didn't cause the bundle to roll again. This time, he made it open up as the end of the bundle slowly unraveled itself to expose the many pieces of equipment that laid within the seemingly smaller container. Swords, knives, small explosives and strange devices that seemed all too new to Father greeted his sight much to his surprise. Daughter was right to be worried about a single Arrancar, even of Father's level to enter a pit full of Shinigami, but this seemed to be a bit too much for Father's liking. "Why did she give me swords? Wouldn't my Zanpakutō be enough?" He asked. Mother lifted en eyebrow to his question as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. She just told me to give this stuff to you. I just assumed that you knew what to do with this sort of stuff." "Of course she would... She can make all this stuff without the need for blueprints and the likes but can't even make a simple instruction manual on how to use this..." Father thought, Daughter's kind act bringing a calm smile to his face. "Well most of the things here look pretty self explanatory, though don't need an instruction manual for an old friend such as this." He thought out loud as he reached for a large satchel of large vials filled with green liquid, sliding one vial out to look at with the sunlight. "You'll need that if you're using that damn power of yours... I have no idea how Grandfather was even able to learn and teach you that. He himself doesn't even wield that sort of power." Mother said as she saw the vials. Father looked up at Mother without tilting his head, keeping his face down but looking at her from the top edge of his eyes. "Grandfather didn't teach me it, I already knew how to do it. He just boosted my power in order to reach new lengths with it, albeit with some costs..." He explained, looking back down to the bundle of equipment and moved his hand across it to flatten it more out on the ground. "I thought it would have been easier than I thought, but seems as though my body needed the time to adjust to the great lengths this technique goes. Receiving it all in one go didn't do any good to me." Paying no attention to Father's response, Mother swiped her hand to her side and opened another rift, cracking open the space beside her to reveal another black void within. "Yeah okay then. Just come back safe with what you retrieve. The Daughter will see to it how much time needs to be reverted before she can safely resurrect the remains." She reminded him as she walked into the opening and closed it behind her, leaving Father by himself on the cliffside with a smile on his face. "So be it... Time to get started I suppose." Father thought out loud to himself as he began packing the equipment onto his person and preparing for his leave. ---- "LIEUTENANT SAOSIN!" a screaming voice echoed, bouncing around in the street before invading the Soul Reaper it called for, causing some passerby to turn their head to where the sound came from. Startled by the sudden call, Saosin halted in place and turned around to see who was yelling her name. Moving some hair that had fallen in front of her face, back behind her ear, she squinted down the street to see an individual in black clothes running up to her. No matter how closer they got, she wasn't able to tell if it was someone she knew. Nonetheless, she stood in place to allow them to catch up, hoping to get some answers to why they were shouting her name in such a public place. "LIEUTENANT SAOSIN! LIEUTENANT SAOSIN! WAIT UP!" They called out again, more people walking on the street turning their heads to the running individual. Some people on the streets realised who they were calling for and immediately turned their attention momentarily over to Saosin. Eyes widened with embarrassment and red flushing her cheeks, Saosin stood awkwardly in the spot frozen in confusion as the individual neared her position. It was when they were a few metres apart that Saosin realised who was running to her, and making a scene for her to unluckily become a part of. Dressed in Shinigami uniform with their sword swinging on their side, the Shinigami's face seemed to be still and unchanging, remaining unfazed despite the speed that they were sprinting at. Now with a large, playful smile on her face, Saosin crossed her arms and giggled at the state the Soul Reaper. "Well good morning Nemu. Haven't you grown up since I've last been here." Saosin smiled as she held her arms out for a hug, waiting for a response from Nemu. Seconds passed before Saosin realised that she wasn't going to get a hug in return from her old friend, and decided to do it her self after rolling her eyes. As she pulled herself closer to Nemu, her eyes dropped as soon as Nemu couldn't see her face, her mood suddenly becoming more grim as memories forced their way back into the front of her mind. Nemu certainly did grow up, all without Saosin by her side, now it looked as though they were both the same age despite Saosin being a good century older. Nemu looked to be a teenager by the time Saosin left for her mission, but now they were both adults with not even a decade difference of looks between them. While Nemu shared many personality traits as her predecessor, it seemed as though Saosin was able to experience a different side to the artificial soul, one such being in the moment when Saosin felt a pair of arms wrap around her as well. Holding back a gasp, Saosin smiled gleefully before gently pulling away, placing both her hands on Nemu's cheeks and pushing them together. "Sorry for being gone so long Nemu. But at least I'm glad that you haven't changed much since I last left. Always loud as ever." Saosin apologised before withdrawing her hands. "Captain Kurotsuchi told me about the return of all the Soul Reaper parties that were trapped in the Human World. I figured that you would have also come back with them." Nemu said with a slight smile, holding her hands in front of her person in a polite manner. "Yeah. We were there for a pretty long time. Sorry about that kid." Saosin apologised again, scratching the back of her head with an awkward smile. Saosin's eyes widened once again as she felt Nemu hug onto her again, planting her face into her shoulder as a child would do with their parent. "Just don't leave again without telling me. Promise?" Nemu asked. Heartbroken, Saosin patted Nemu on the back of her head and nodded. "Of course! You should just join the 3rd Division with me so we can go on missions together!" Saosin joked, laughing as Nemu pulled herself away. "I don't think Captain Kurotsuchi would appreciate that. I think there are plans for me and Lieutenant Akon to share the spot soon. Besides, my place is with Captain Kurotsuchi like my predecessor, and possibly my successors after." Nemu responded, scratching the back of her arm as if guilty for not accepting Saosin's offer. Waving it off, Saosin laughed and grabbed Nemu's hand quickly, pulling her along to guide her down the street that she was walking down originally. "Don't worry, I understand. But it would be pretty neat if you did, just imagine it! Me and you, taking down Hollows, fighting off the Arrancar! Oh, which reminds me, how has the war down there been going since I've left?" She asked. Nemu shrugged her shoulders and sighed, "The Arrancars continue to fight. The one that they call Apargon is still to be studied and known... Access between our world and Hueco Mundo hasn't been very easy since they killed Tier Harribel." "Thought so, but when has access between here and there ever been easy?" Saosin added on, shaking her head to the thought of the conflict going on for this long. "Hueco Mundo hasn't had a break ever since Aizen rebelled against the Soul Society. First his rebellion and the Espadas, then the Quincy's Invasion, and now this. But enough chit chat about dark times, anything coming up in the week?" The two continued to stroll down the street holding hands as Saosin led the way, both of them chatting and laughing as they passed numerous civilians making their daily rounds around the city. The scars of the Quincy Invasion had been built over, but the memory still lingered within the peoples' minds. So many Souls had died during the conflict, but for it to end with the success with the newly crowned Soul King gave the people hope that the Shinigami and the Gotei 13 would overcome any problem that came their way. The smile on Nemu's face always filled Saosin with a light that she missed while back in the Human World. Their laughter filled the streets, and separated them from the populace they passed through. It felt just like the old days for them, hand in hand, chatting as the sun slowly passed over the sky. "Heard that a division's recruit squad didn't make it back from a patrol few days back. We sent a few more out but they've come back with nothing..." Nemu brought up, walking alongside Saosin with a semi-concerned face. "Really? Do we know at least where they were last seen?" Saosin asked. Nemu shooked her head blankly and looked backwards, facing a large mountain that seemed to overlook the city's landscape, with its highest point curiously peeking into the clouds. "A member from the missing squad returned to report that they detected a high Spiritual power coming from the mountain, strong enough for them to feel it at the base. He left to report it to the higher seats of their division but by the time they went to mountain there was no sign of the missing recruits." "That's awfully peculiar. Reckon we should go check it out and see for ourselves?" Saosin said after a moment of thinking. "Uh... I don't think we should." Nemu said back, holding the back of her arm nervously. Saosin shook her head and chuckled, "Awww. You're just scared right? Come on! Whens the last time we walked through the district's walls and explored? Don't think Captain Mayuri has let you out all too much huh?" She teased, crossing her arms and leaning back on one leg. "I'M NOT SCARED!" Nemu yelled childishly, stomping her foot on the ground. Saosin's smirk turned into a laugh as she slapped her hand on Nemu's shoulder, "I've missed you." She smiled, "Alright then, come on. I'm heading to the burial grounds, they've recently opened a memorial for all the Shinigami that died during the Quincy Invasion." Saosin said, inviting Nemu to continue travelling with her. With Nemu's acceptance of a nod, the two Shinigami continued on their way through the streets, continuing their chat to catch up on the how many years that they've remained separated. With the destruction that fell upon the city, it gave the Soul Society the opportunity to build new areas besides rebuilding what they've lost. With the extra space, monuments and new schools had been opened under the jurisdiction of the higher ups of the community, one mainly being the captains of the Gotei 13. It didn't take long for the two to reach where the memorial was built, lookng almost like a massive stone courtyard with rounded walls to make a half circle, baring gold metal along its body on both sides. In the centre, a statue of the former Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto in the old age he was when he fought. Many civilians wandered around the premises, strolling along the walls to read the names up and down, others gazing upon the massive stature that Yamamoto's statue bared, towering over them. His piercing eyes chiseled to catch the moment that he last stood against the Quincy's king. Saosin felt chills running down her spines the first second her eyes laid upon it, feeling as though that moment was really taking place before her. "Look how many names are written onto the wall... I can't believe it." Nemu said, catching Saosin out of her disturbed trance. "I'm going to read the names of those before me if you don't mind." "Nah. Go ahead, I'll just be here if you need me." Saosin smiled, watching Nemu walk away respectfully. Taking a deep breathe in and out, Saosin walked in front of the statue and knelt before closing her eyes and clearing her mind, preparing to meditate. As she slowly focused on the sounds and feeling of her breathes, images and sounds began playing within Saosin's mind, not of the present but of the past. Images of the Quincy invading the Soul Society, made of both Quincies and Arrancars, dressed in white. She could remember a group of them breaking down doors and dragging civilians out onto the streets, sooner or later reaching her family's own home before doing the same to her parents. She watched from under the floorboards, holding onto her sister as the footsteps above them creaked the flooring, sending dust to scatter over the two young Souls. She could remember the absolute fear that washed over her as her parents disappeared momentarily from their sights. Even in ehr trance, Saosin's face turned into a scowl as she began concentrating on the Quincy members. She knew she hated them from that moment, the way they barged in and took her family. That attack was the moment she wanted to be a Soul Reaper, to make sure that something like this would never happen again. Now that she had people to take care of, she would go out fighting if it meant that they would be safe. "Lieutenant Saosin..." Nemu's voice stuttered right next to her, alarming Saosin and waking her from her trance. "Yes Nemu?" She asked as she shook her head, returning to reality as the screams from her visions continued to occur, thinking that it was her mind playing tricks on her. After seeing Nemu's shocked and worried expression, however, Saosin's eyes widened before lifting herself up and turning around. The screams from her vision had seemed to implant itself into reality as many Souls civilians began running past her out of the courtyard. "Is... Is that?" Nemu stuttered more as she took a step back. "Arrancar..." Saosin finished Nemu's question as she now expressed a face of battle ready anger, pulling out the metal fan that hung by her side and swinging it in the space infront of her, cutting the air to make swift whistling sounds that cracked in the wind. "Nemu help vacate the area, I'll deal with this." What stood not too far from them, now just entering the courtyard was an older Arrancar, armed with blades from head to toe, small canisters lining the belt wrapped around his torso and waist. He was fit to take on an army by the looks of things, but instead of drawing them, he reached back and pulled out a green vial to bring to his mouth, emptying its contents down his throats before letting out a satisfied gasp. "Wait what! Um I don't think you should be dealing with this alone." Nemu quickly opposed Saosin's idea of heroism, "Who knows what kind of Arrancar we're dealing with now!" "Nemu. Don't argue. This doesn't look like any of Tier Harribel's Arrancar, so this is one of the rebels. NOW GO!" Saosin ordered before rushing towards her target. Saosin's speed was profound, disappearing from her original spot only to flash forward in quick succession towards the Arrancar male. Moving in a sort of zig zag route, Saosin left no spare time between her and the target as she appeared next to the Arrancar with the metal spiked fan above her head, ready to strike down in one fatal blow. With her attack made known, Saosin forcefully struck downwards towards the Arrancar's head that the wind infront of the fan split apart and a breeze travelled in different directions as the weapon went down. The Arrancar remained unmoving despite his eyes having followed Saosin throughout the entire approach, even so still looking as it quickly came down on his head. No effort to defend against it, remaining as vulnerable as a statue would be. He remained in place with his hands by his side as the fan seemingly struck into his cranium and travelled down his body in one clean swipe as it exited the other end. Saosin landed on the ground, as she moved both her hands gracefully to the side as if to curtsey, making so sound as her feet made contact with the floor. The image of the Arrancar seemed to disappear as soon as she looked back up to see what happened, causing her to look back at the fan while raising her eyebrow with a smirk. "Just what I thought... That was too easy, especially for an Arrancar... Saidaiite might be swift but no amount of force in this state would be enough to make a clean strike like that..." She thought to herself as she dusted herself off with her free hand and closed her eyes. "Admirable speed for an Arrancar. You remind me of the stories of the Espadas... Mind sharing your name?" She called out, though they were out of sight she still somehow knew that they were still around. The Arrancar, now walking forward near her position, remained unfazed, hands still by their sides with a blank expression on his face. Clicking his fingers, Saosin found herself now facing the Arrancar by a mysterious force, feeling as though she was moved by something else. She hadn't even noticed that the direction she faced changed in that moment, thinking that it was the Arrancar that moved in front of her. Without warning, the Arrancar took a step back and pointed his finger at the Soul Reaper, his face still emotionless as he looked over the surface of the pointing finger and aimed its point towards the lieutenant. "Bang." He announced before bringing the finger back to his side. While nothing had happened for a few seconds, Saosin looked around to see if his motion activated anything particular. As soon as she moved her head to check around her, it hit her, a sharp, stinging sensation covering her entire body as blood splatted in many directions around her, small bits of her uniform ripped apart from slashes meeting together. She felt the attack of a hundred swords rip at her skin and flesh all occur at once on the spot. Her eyes closed in shock and pain, as she felt her legs give up, and finally allow her to drop to the ground defeated. Despite this, she never had let go of Saidaiite, which remained within her hand. "...N-no..." She coughed before feeling the weight of her body plummet to the ground, the fall winding her of another gasp that escaped her lungs. With Saosin out of the way, the Arrancar moved towards the statue of the former Captain-Commander, taking the time to gaze upon its detail before forming a soft smirk. Bringing his hand above his opposite shoulder, the Arrancar swiped diagonally downward towards the statue, causing a harsh glow of purple to surround the statue before tearing it apart, parts of it falling from the piece and onto the ground. The statue continued to crumble away before the original structure was completely removed and broken, only finished by the Arrancar who walked up to the head piece of the sculpture that remained in one piece, and crushed it under neath his foot. There was no respect but distain in the Arrancar's actions, as he chuckled under his breathe before heading towards the walls bearing the Shinigami names. Out of nowhere, a sudden burst of energy rushed through Saosin's body, prompting her to pull herself up as the metal fan dragged across the stone ground. This caught the Arrancar's attention as he looked over his shoulder, only to see a heavily wounded Saosin barely standing up with a look of fury directed at him. The fire within her eyes burned harshly, and for a moment there, the Arrancar could almost see himself in the flames. Drawing two swords from his person, the Arrancar assumed a battle-ready stance, inviting the Soul Reaper to challenge him again. If he wanted to, he could have repeated the same move he did before, but something about Saosin's perseverance impressed him enough to actually fight her. "That wasn't fair. Now you're going down!" She called out, her words getting stronger the further she spoke. The Arrancar smiled and slashed at the space in front of him, the air cut by the blades made a whipping noise as the swords entered a cross guard in front of his person. "You talk too much Soul Reaper." He pointed out in a snarky tone. "Defy the Shots of the Greatest and Outlast their Quiver" Saosin commanded, swinging her fan to the side before it was enveloped in a blinding flash of light. Both Saosin and the Arrancar looked away until the light faded, only to reveal that what had taken the place of the fan was now a long dart, around half the size of Saosin's arm. As she let go of the dart to drop on the ground, it instead lifted itself up to hover just beside her, awaiting her next command. "You may be fast, but there are very few who are faster than Saidaiite." Sliding the blades against the back of each other, the Arrancar's attempts to intimidate the Soul Reaper seemed futile for now. He proceeded to charge towards Saosin with Sonído, quickly closing the distance between him and her with the swords following just behind. Likewise, Saosin held her hands by her side and squinted to where the Arrancar was, only moving to flick a strand of hair that fell over her face back behind her ear. The dart shot forward without warning, but before making it all the way through, immediately redirected its course back to Saosin. As it shot past her ear, Saosin looked back to see that the Arrancar who charged at her was forced back by Saidaiite a good few metres, now baring a notable hole in the lower side of his body due to Saidaiite shooting through him. The Arrancar fell onto the ground backwards and rolled away a few more metres, stunned at the sheer speed and force that her Zanpaukto could deal. The look of surprise on his face was not uncanny, almost bringing a smile to Saosin's face as she watched her opponent tumble back and Saidaiite validating her previous statement. Positioning herself into a fighting stance, Saosin invited the Arrancar to charge at her again, having the confidence in herself to think that along with Saidaiite, the Arrancar had no chance keeping track of two attackers at the same time. The Arrancar pulled himself up with a groan, and clashed his swords once more, pointing the swords towards Saosin before charging once again in Sonído. As he proceeded through, Saidaiite flew towards the Arrancar's direction, only disappearing from sight for a brief moment as the Arrancar did only for both of them to appear near Saosin. Once again, the Arrancar tumbled through the air with Saidaiite shooting through him, leaving yet another hole in his body just as large as the last. Rolling on the ground as a cloud of dust now surrounded him, he was beginning to develop an expression of annoyance towards both Saosin and Saidaiite. "You're only strong with your Zanpakutō, Shinigami. It's clear to see that. Tell me, have you ever experienced its strength?" The Arrancar questioned, lifting an eyebrow as he pulled himself off the ground, and used one of the swords as a support to lean on. Saosin, who was pretty weak herself at that point, smirked. "No need to. It obeys my very command, and no matter how fast it is, it will refuse itself to inflict harm upon me..." She responded. "Is that so? Then strike me down Soul Reaper... We'll finish our business today." The Arrancar said as he opened his arms, seemingly accepting Saidaiite to shoot at him. Nodding her head, Saosin threw back her arm before forcing it to point forward at the Arrancar, visibly ordering Saidaiite to fire at the Arrancar at astounding speed that not even she could process. The Arrancar could only bare a smile as suddenly he exited Saosin's view, seemingly shifting Saosin's position with his and replacing the directed target of Saidaiite onto their master. With the Arrancar standing not too far to watch what would happen, it didn't take long for Saosin to realise what just happen. Saidaiite on the other hand was able to stop itself, mere centimetres from Saosin's head just as the Arrancar had changed her place, before redirecting itself around Saosin and straight towards the Arrancar. In one stunning shot, the Arrancar felt Saidaiite pierce through his body one more time before exiting his back, and sending the Arrancar to his knees, bloodied and bruised. Saidaiite returned back to the side of Saosin for further instruction. "Do my words even go through your ears Arrancar? The Xīn Family are not liars, so believe my word when I say that I'll be the one killing you." Saosin said in a brash tone. A devious smile brought to the Arrancar's face, however, momentarily disturbed Saosin as the Arrancar brought a hand forward and pointed it at the Shinigami. "Bang." He muttered on his face. Just like before, the sharp sensation now overlapping the previous wounds she received earlier stung throughout her body to an unbearable level. Within no time, Saosin was forced onto the ground unconscious with plenty more wounds slashed into her uniform and body, blood slowly trickling out of now bigger flesh wounds. Saidaiite dropped to the ground and was enveloped in another flash of bright light, reverting to its fan state as it laid beside an unconscious Saosin. The Arrancar reached behind and pulled out another vial of green liquid, flicking the lid off and drinking it all down in one go. The three holes that were blasted through his body began to close up, and the energy that was drained from him throughout the ordeal returned to him, feeling as young as he was before the fight. With his wounds healed and his opponent on the ground, the Arrancar returned to business and proceeded to the walls of names. ---- Aftermaths "LIEUTENANT SAOSIN! Lieutenant Saosin?..." Nemu's voice called out from beyond the darkness. Light slowly breaking through to reveal an assortment of visitors surrounding Saosin, who laid in a medical bed maybe somewhere in the Fourth Division's territory. Besides Nemu, who was eagerly waiting and holding onto Saosin's right arm, was other Shinigami varying in rank. However, one such Shinigami stood out entirely from the others as he watched silently from the other end of the bed. Groaning as she pulled herself up, many of the visitors momentarily panicked as soon as they heard her struggle. Shaking her arm around to ward off any who wanted to come help, Saosin positioned herself in a comfortable sitting up posture on the bed, before breathing in a deep sigh from a childish smirk. "It's been a while Izuru... You look old." The lieutenant smiled. Izuru's gloomy look contrasted notably with Saosin's bright attitude, despite her waking up from a heavily damaged state. "You've been gone for too long, the Soul Society has aged without you Saosin. Captain Ōtoribashi was thinking of replacing you or removing your rank if you didn't get back here sooner." Saosin chuckled under her breathe before shuffling a bit more, only to feel an intense pain sting her side that widened her eyes and mouth from shock. "Yeah. Bet, you would've, wanted to, see that." She coughed her words, whilst some of the visitors helped her back onto her upright position on the bed. "Don't move so much Saosin, save your strength for later. The Arrancar who did this to you may be back anytime soon for who knows what, so we'll be needing all Shinigami in the area to be on high alert for now." Izuru waved off, responding with very little effort before taking his leave, followed by majority of the visitors besides Nemu. "He's become bitter with age it seems... He was pretty grim before though so I wouldn't say too much has changed." Saosin muttered under her breathe as she watched them walk out. Nemu knelt down beside Saosin's bed and held her hand, tapping her fingers on the back of Saosin's hand as the seconds passed by. Without questioning it, Saosin watched Nemu with a worried face, can't help but think what had happened after she passed out from her 'fight' with the mysterious Arrancar. He seemed hell bent on destroying the memorial grounds, but for what? Out of spite? All that really laid there were the remains of various Soul Reapers that passed away during the Quincy Invasion. Reaching over with her other hand to grab onto Nemu's, Saosin smiled and tilted her head as she looked at her friend. "So, what happened while I was gone?" She asked in a gentle voice. Nemu turned her face away to hide an expression of worry from Saosin, gritting her teeth as she struggled to find a response to the lieutenant's question. "The memorial grounds are in ruins... The intruder seemed to take several ashes with him before moving to other burial ground. I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop him." Attempting to calm Nemu, Saosin patted Nemu's hand with a motherly touch, "Don't worry about it. We can't stop everything you know. I guess there really wasn't any point trying to stop him, I should have helped you evacuate the area." Nemu shook her head and looked back at Saosin, "What? You bought enough time for some of the captains to arrive and help. Though... Even though they all outnumbered him, he still managed to escape." Saosin rolled her eyes and flopped back onto the bed, releasing a heavy sigh as her head began to feel heavy. Whatever the infirmary was putting her on was kicking in, and she felt as though Nemu's visit was going to have to end here for now. Pulling her hands from Nemu's own, Saosin patted the back of Nemu's shoulder and smiled, before beckoning with her head to the exit. Without any more words, Nemu nodded and smiled back, pulling herself back up and proceeding to the exit, not before looking back to see that Saosin was slowly drifting from consciousness. With a gentle smile on her face, Nemu left Saosin to rest easy. ---- The lab was quiet despite Mother and Daughter rushing around looking over vials and boiling beakers around the room, emitting different kinds of gas that travelled throughout tubes scattered across the area. Daughter especially seemed to be more concentrated on her work as two new giant vats had appeared in the centre of her work space, water bubbling at the top as two bodies, heads hanging low onto their chest floated delicately in the centre. What stood out about them, however, was their purple skin, staining the colour of the liquid they were contained within. Mother looked on with a smile on her face as she realised that Grandfather was too generous with what he gave her, feeling a bit bad with what happened to Father for them to get to this point. "Daughter, when will the bodies be ready to release onto the Shinigami?" She asked as she began making her way close to the vat. Noticing that Mother was walking close to the subjects, Daughter's eyes widened before slamming a nearby desk to catch her attention. "DON'T. I'm getting vital signs that the bodies are... alive." "Alive? I thought you said your last experiment took nearly 3 months for the subject to receive a pulse. We've had them here for a few hours!" Mother replied in confusion and shock, surprised that it took only this long for them to get a sign of life from the once deceased bodies. Stopping herself from getting to close to the vat, Mother simply stood a few feet away to admire what had been created. "I did something different this time, changed up the levels, how much I put in. As well as introduce some new catalysts to speed up the process. Mind you, this means that their bodies are ready to wake up once you give the signal. With what you've got planned with these Shinigami may still take a few more months before we're officially ready to release them onto the enemy." Daughter rambled on before grabbing a closed vial of black liquid and shoving it into her lab coat. "Father did collect the swords and give them to Grandfather, right?" Mother shook her head and returned to the pile of papers on a desk, moving papers out of the way as she read the ones underneath, ears still open to Daughter's question. "Not that I know of. I don't know what the Shinigami do with a deceased one's Zanpakutō, but its not like Father was really looking to collect any more swords. Might I ask why?" She continued in a curious manner. "Strange, I thought the blades would be buried with the remains but alright then. It's nothing too drastic but I was thinking that Grandfather would at least try and figure a way to corrupt their Zanpakutō in order to work with the state their in." She answered, a tone of disappointment in her voice as she walked away. Daughter moved over to a curtained stall with a bland face and tugged onto the fabric, forcefully pulling it to the side to unveil an unconscious Father laid out on a metal table. Purple veins pulsated from underneath his skin, and what could be seen from his nearly closed eyes showed that they were blood-shot. Machines near the table were connected to him via tubes, which pushed through green liquids into Father's body, blinking with red and blue lights whilst a heart monitor remained by his side. Despite Father not drawing any breathe, his heart continued to pulse, which was all that was enough for Daughter to have a peace of mind. "That was a bit risky... It's a wonder how he is even still alive." Daughter thought out loud. Suddenly, the doors to the lab swung open and slammed into the walls, allowing Apargon to walk through humming a small tune that echoed throughout the area. "You've pushed him too far this time child-o'-mine. Need I remind you that there is still a war going on, and you have just incapacitated one of our strongest generals? I would consider this treason if it wasn't for a good cause." Mother's eyes widened as she watched Grandfather walk in, stepping back from the tables and bowing her head out of respect. "It was needed Grandfather. It's essential for what I have planned for the Soul Society. Daughter is already working on bringing the Father back as soon as possible." She reasoned out. Looking towards the vats, Apargon tilted his head to see what was inside, noticing the purple skinned subjects dressed in Soul Reaper attire. "What do we have here? Are these the weapons you'll be using on the Gotei 13?" Mother nodded her head immediately, "Yes Grandfather. Daughter says they're alive already but there'll have to be prepared for a few more months before we may unleash them upon the Soul Society." "This better be worth it child-o'-mine. By the sounds of things, it seems that the Daughter will be able to handle the rest of it." Apargon said as he looked around the room. Mother looked up to Apargon with a confused expression. "I... Uh-" "I'll need you on a seperate mission, which for your capabilities shouldn't take long. Wadenreich remnants still remain in Hueco Mundo and I would like an accomplice to help me launch a small assault on a hidden group my informants have discovered." Apargon ordered before turning his back on Mother to exit the room. "This is not a request. I'll expect you to be ready by tomorrow." "Yes Grandfather. As you wish." Mother bowed her head again until she heard Apargon exit and move away from the room. "Long live the King of the Hollows." She whispered under her breathe. ----